The invention relates to composite screen or perforated surface and filtering membrane gutter guards. The invention employs a filtering membrane and underlying skeletal support system applicable for disallowing small twigs, leaves, pine needles, pollen, and other debris larger than 100 microns from-entering the gutter while directing rain water roof run off into an underlying rain gutter in the presence of such debris. The invention employs downward extending planes underside the filtering membrane and supporting skeletal structure that break the forward flow of water.
Unlike some prior art gutter guards which have a relatively fine-mesh polymer, fiberglass, or metal layer overlying a perforated panel that exhibits no downward water channeling planes, the gutter guard of the present invention includes a filtering screen integrally joined to a perforated expanded metal panel forming a lateral plane with downward extending water channeling paths. The absence of effective downward extending water channeling paths exhibited in prior art that employs filtering methods often allows for the forward channeling of water past rather than downward into an underlying rain gutter. Unlike prior art that does employ effective downward extending water channeling paths in a polymer body, notably LEAFFILTER.TM, the present invention has been demonstrated to achieve similar properties through a design more readily accomplished at lower cost of manufacture.